Stacey and the New Boy
by Ellywyl
Summary: The Schiavones have moved down the McGills' street. When their nephew comes to visit, Stacey thinks she's in LUV. But could he be interested in another member of the club instead?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They are the creation of Ann M. Martin. _

_Author's Note: In this story, the Friends Forever series does not come into play, and Dawn's and Mary Anne's house on Burnt Hill Road still exists. Abby is the alternate officer._

CHAPTER 1

"Did you remember to bring a snack?"

I sighed. "Yes, Mom. I have some pretzels right here in my bag."

"And your injection kit? You remembered that, right?"

For heaven's sake. Did Mom really think that I would forget to bring my insulin to a sleepover?

Apparently so. "Of course, Mom. I never leave home without it."

Mom must have heard something in my tone of voice because she shot me a quick, apologetic smile as she turned our car into the Kishis' driveway. "Sorry, Stace. Bellair's buyer by day, overly concerned mom by night."

"I know," I said, giving her a smile back. My mom worries a LOT about my health. But I know she does it because she cares. I feel lucky to have two parents who care about me--even if they live in two different cities because they're divorced.

I'm Stacey McGill. It IS hard to be the daughter of divorced parents, but I realize how lucky I am to be able to see them both pretty frequently. My friend, Dawn Schafer, had to move across country to be with her father, and my friend Kristy Thomas NEVER sees hers. My dad is just a train ride away in New York City. I visit him most weekends and even though he's a workaholic, he always makes sure to spend time with me, whether it be taking me shopping at Bloomingdale's, to eat at some of the best restaurants in the city, or visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a place where I always feel like a true New Yorker.

My dad spoils me just a teensy bit.

My parents and I moved to Stoneybrook, Connecticut when the company my dad works for transferred him here when I was in seventh grade. I joined the BSC, and made some fabulous friends. Not long after that, my dad was transferred BACK to New York. But soon Mom and Dad began having problems in their marriage. They got divorced, and Mom moved back to Stoneybrook. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but I chose to live with her. I love living here, but there's nothing like life in the Big Apple. I think I might move there for good when I grow up and have a career.

But enough about that. Where, you ask, was I headed to at that very moment? Well, you already know--a sleepover. But at whose house?

Simple answer--my best friend, Claudia Kishi. Who else would be there? The rest of the Baby-sitters Club. You already heard about Kristy and Dawn. The others in the club are Mary Anne Spier, Abby Stevenson, Mallory Pike, and Jessi Ramsey. Mallory and Jessi are eleven years old and in the sixth grade. The rest of us are all thirteen and in the eighth grade at Stoneybrook Middle School. (Since Dawn is living in California now, she is an honorary member of the club--but more about that, and how the club works, later).

"Thanks for the ride, Mom. I'll see you tomorrow morning!" I gave my mother a kiss on the cheek, and hopped out of the car, clutching my overnight bag.

"Have fun, Stace!" she called cheerfully as she drove away.

Ding-dong. Claudia's older sister Janine answered the door. "Hello, Stacey," she said pleasantly. She was cradling a thick textbook in her right arm.

"What's up, Janine?" I asked her as she let me into the front hall.

"I'm very well. I've just finished studying, as a matter of fact."

"On a Saturday night?" I asked incredulously.

She smiled. "How are you? How's your advanced math class?"

"It's great, thanks for asking," I replied. I absolutely adore math. I'm a member of the SMS Mathletes team. And I've been getting straight As in class this year. I'm not bragging, it's just a fact.

"That's wonderful. Everyone is already here. Go on up. I trust you all will have a fine time at your party," she said.

"Cool. See ya!" I gave her a wave and trotted up the stairs. Claudia and Janine aren't very close and have totally different interests (Janine takes college classes even though she's still in high school, and Claudia couldn't care less about schoolwork), and Claudia complains often about having a genius for a sister. But I don't mind Janine.

I heard voices before I even entered Claudia's room. "And then Karen called up the stairs, 'Kristy, it's your BOYFRIEND!', which was totally embarrassing, because there was no way to get out of the phone call then. Can you believe it? Bart and I haven't been...well...THAT part of our relationship is over, for heaven's sake. And I have to deal with my family saying dumb things like that when he calls," Kristy was saying. She was sprawled on the floor. She shook her head and dug into a large bag of Doritos.

"Have you told them that you and Bart are strictly friends now?" Claudia asked from her bed. She was painting her fingernails a very bright red.

"No," Kristy mumbled around a mouthful of chips.

"Well, there's your problem. Tell everyone you and Bart are finito. Kaput," Abby said, her nose in a magazine. She was lying beside Claudia.

"I guess. It's just...it makes me uncomfortable to talk about Bart in THOSE terms, you know?" Kristy sighed heavily.

"I don't see what's difficult about it. It saves you from having to deal with more uncomfortable stuff in the future," Mary Anne offered. She was cutting up pieces of shiny metallic paper with Mal and Jessi on the floor.

"I guess," Kristy grunted.

I was surprised no one had noticed me in the doorway. "Ahem," I cleared my throat.

Six heads swiveled around at the same time. It was a pretty funny sight. "Hi, Stacey!" Claudia cried.

"Hi, Stace!" everyone else chorused.

"Hi, you guys. Claud, I love your shirt!" I exclaimed.

"Thanks! I made it myself," she replied. Her shirt was plain white cotton, and it looked very soft. Five baby ducks following a mama duck were painted across the front. Claudia is a fabulous artist. One day she will be world-famous, I swear.

"Make way for Claudia," Abby joked.

Jessi gave her a puzzled look.

"You know, like the book Make Way for Ducklings?" Abby pressed.

"Ha ha," Kristy said flatly. She reached for a can of Coke.

"Someone's cranky," Abby scoffed. "Have you forgotten this is a slumber party, Miss Thomas? Emphasis on the word _party_."

"Hmph," Kristy said. But she wasn't sounding so grumpy anymore. "Any more attitude from you, Miss Stevenson, and I'll throw this handful of Doritos at your head."

"Please don't. I would spend days picking those smelly chips out of my hair," Abby replied, tugging at her wild mane of dark curls.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked Mary Anne, Mal, and Jessi as I sat in the desk chair. Claud offered me a Diet Coke, which I accepted.

"Cutting up some of Claud's old wrapping paper to give to Sarah Hill for an art project," Mal said. There were three piles of scrap paper in front of her.

"Claud sat for her a couple of days ago and told her she would give her some old supplies she doesn't use anymore," Mary Anne said, pointing behind me. I glanced towards the desk and saw an assortment of art-related goodies sitting atop it: brushes that looked used but in good condition, pads of sketching paper, clay, and a couple of jars of beads.

"Wow, Claud, that's pretty generous of you," I said.

She shrugged. "It's no big deal. I wanted to cheer her up some. Did you know she's going to be held back in school next year?"

"Really?" I hadn't known. I don't sit for Norman and Sarah very often. I did know, though, that Claudia is a favorite of Sarah's because they both share a love for art. I could tell that this was going to be another thing Claudia would bond with Sarah over; Claud was sent back to seventh grade recently because of her poor school performance. She's back in eighth now, however, much to my delight. I missed eating lunch with her in the same period.

"It's really too bad. She was totally depressed the whole afternoon I sat for her. We drew pictures for her parents, but it didn't seem like her heart was in it," Claudia said. "But she did seem pretty excited when I said I would bring her these things."

"I can venture a guess as to what else is causing Sarah's bad mood," Kristy said.

"What's that?" Claud and I asked at the same time.

"Her brother. I saw Norman shopping with his mom yesterday after our meeting. Charlie dropped me off at the grocery store so I could pick up some juice boxes for Karen and Andrew. Boy, has he lost weight. He looks fantastic!" Norman, Sarah's younger brother, used to be pretty overweight, and his parents were always nagging him to do something about it. The kids at school also gave him a hard time. In short, he was miserable.

"Why would that put Sarah in a bad mood? I'm so happy for Norman. His family should be, too," I said. I really was--I knew Norman had wanted to get healthier.

"You are, and we are, and his parents are, but…come on. Sarah used to bully him a lot. I think seeing Norman happier with himself is something she's not used to, and she might feel a little jealous. Her problems in school are only adding to that," said Kristy. I could tell she was trying to be tactful. I knew she thought Sarah wasn't a very nice sister, or kid.

"Well, I'm sitting for them next Tuesday. I'll bring my Kid-Kit with me. Maybe Sara would like that. And I'm looking forward to congratulating Norman."

"Vanessa told me some girls in Norman's class think he's cute. I think Norman is more confident with himself these days, and the girls are taking notice," Mal told us, grinning.

"Wooo, go Norman!" Abby exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh," Claudia said, laughing. "Norman Hill, ladies man!"

"Girls!" I heard Claudia's mom call up the stairs. "The pizzas are here!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Kishi!" Kristy yelled. She jumped up and brushed Dorito crumbs from her jeans. "I'm starving!"

"What?" Abby asked. "You just scarfed down a bag of chips in two seconds. And before that you had five Oreos."

Kristy rolled her eyes. "Please, Abby. It's pizza. I'm always hungry for pizza."

"Whatever," Abby sniffed. "They brought the salads, didn't they?"

Abby is allergic to positively everything, including cheese.

"Come on, Stace. It's salad. We're always hungry for salad!" I laughed as she looped her arm through mine.

Mary Anne carefully put the piles of paper aside, and Mal helped her. When they were done, we all barreled downstairs.

"Pig-out time!" Claudia shouted.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"I don't know why you're so shocked," Janine said as she poured a glass of milk for herself.

"It's not like she's eating…octopus on pizza," I said as I popped a forkful of lettuce into my mouth.

"Ewww!" Jessi squealed.

"I know, give us a break, Claudia. If you could put M&Ms on pizza, you would," Kristy added, taking a sip of her soda.

"M&Ms…hmm…maybe not," Claudia said slowly. "Maybe not. I don't think that would taste very good. But still, Janine…I can't believe YOU like anchovies, too!"

"Too? Who else here likes anchovies?" Mr. Kishi asked as he put a slice of plain cheese pizza on his plate, which he placed on a tray.

"Kristy does," Claudia replied.

"Gross," Abby said under her breath.

"My dad likes them," Mal put in. "And doesn't Bart like anchovies, too?"

Jessi nudged her. "Oops!" Mal blushed. "Sorry, Kristy."

Kristy let out a huge sigh and dropped her slice of pizza on her plate. I stifled a laugh.

"Well, you girls enjoy! We're off to see a movie in the living room," Mrs. Kishi said. She and Mr. Kishi and Janine carried their trays out of the room.

Once they were gone, Mary Anne spoke up. "I forgot to ask them. What movie are they going to watch, Claud?"

Claud shrugged. "I really don't know. Something about ancient Greece or Egypt…I think it's a documentary. I'd rather watch Lenny grow hair, myself." Lenny is Claudia's old rag doll. Mary Anne had brought her downstairs and propped her up on a chair.

I thought it was generous of the Kishis to let seven girls (and a doll) take over their kitchen. But then again, they've always been really nice about Claudia having her friends over three times a week. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from five-thirty until six for meetings of the Baby-sitters Club.

The Baby-sitters Club. It's more of a business than a club, really. We're very popular among the parents of Stoneybrook because we are wonderful, reliable baby-sitters (it's true!) and our club runs very efficiently.

There wouldn't even BE a Baby-sitters Club without Kristy Thomas. When she was in the seventh grade, she came up with her great idea after watching her mother have trouble finding a sitter for her little brother, David Michael. (She also has two older brothers, Charlie and Sam). Kristy thought, why not make one phone call and reach a network of experienced sitters? Voila! The BSC was born!

Kristy is a really effective president. She's dynamic, smart, opinionated, and take-charge (and okay, she's a little bossy). Even though she's short, and cares nothing about fashion (jeans and T-shirts are her uniform, and long brown hair is plain), she makes her presence known. She is full of creativity, a real idea machine. She dreamed up the club notebook, in which we write up all our jobs, and Kid-Kits, boxes filled with old toys and games that we bring with us on jobs. She even coaches a softball team for little kids called Kristy's Krushers. Bart Taylor (does that name sound familiar?) coaches their rival, Bart's Bashers.

Kristy used to live on Bradford Court, across the street from Claudia. Remember when I said Kristy never sees her father? That's because he walked out on the family when David Michael was just a baby. (I know--what a jerk!) It was tough, but Kristy's mom raised the family all on her own. When she met and married Watson Brewer (who is a real live millionaire--honest!), the Thomases moved across town into his mansion. It's a good thing the house is so big--it gets pretty crowded. Kristy's mom and Watson adopted Emily Michelle, an adorable two year old from Vietnam. Kristy's grandmother, Nannie, moved in to help take care of her. Karen and Andrew, Watson's kid from a previous marriage, live with the Brewers sometimes, and the place is also overrun with pets.

When Mary Anne Spier, the club secretary, visits the Brewer mansion, it takes her awhile after to recover from the chaos. For the longest time, she lived with only her father in their house on Bradford Court. Mary Anne and Kristy have been best friends since they were babies, even though they couldn't be more different. Kristy is loud and outgoing, while Mary Anne is quiet and shy. They do look alike--Mary Anne also has brown hair and eyes--but she wears it in a shorter, trendier style. While Kristy and Bart no longer see each other, Mary Anne has been in a relationship with her boyfriend, Logan Bruno, a very cute guy from Kentucky, for awhile now. (Logan is one of the club's associate members--he takes jobs when the rest of us are unavailable, but doesn't come to the meetings. Shannon Kilbourne is another associate. She lives in Kristy's neighborhood and goes to a private school, Stoneybrook Day School). As secretary, Mary Anne is in charge of scheduling our jobs in the BSC record book, which holds all our clients' information. It's a task made for Mary Anne--she's very neat and organized. She definitely inherited these things from her lawyer father, Richard.

Speaking of Mary Anne's father, Mary Anne didn't always have a cool haircut and a great boyfriend. In the past, Mr. Spier wouldn't have allowed it. He used to be really, really strict. You see, Mary Anne's mom died when she was just a baby, and Mr. Spier didn't want to make any mistakes in raising her. So he turned into the King of Rules. He made her dress in little girl clothes and wear her hair in braids. Finally, Mary Anne confronted him and convinced him to start treating her like a middle-schooler. Her dad finally loosened up. Not only that, but he also got remarried--to his high school sweetheart, the divorced Sharon Schafer. They got married and Mary Anne and her dad moved into Sharon's farmhouse on Burnt Hill Road. Mary Anne gained a stepmother, a stepbrother, and a stepsister.

Mary Anne's stepsister was her friend first--and also a member of the club! Yup, Dawn Schafer is Mary Anne's other best friend and the club's first alternate officer. She took over the job of any officer who had to miss a meeting. Recently, Dawn moved back to California to be with her father and brother Jeff (who had moved back long before she did). We all love Dawn, and miss her, but Mary Anne misses her the most. Dawn's a real California girl, though, with her blonde hair, blue eyes, California casual style of dress, and love of health food and the beach--so we know that living there makes her happy.

We invited Abby Stevenson to take Dawn's place after she left. Originally from Long Island, Abby moved to Stoneybrook and onto Kristy's new street with her twin sister Anna and her mother. (Abby's father died in a car accident when she was nine). Abby and Anna are identical, but like Kristy and Mary Anne, they have very different personalities and interests. Anna's a quiet musician and Abby is outgoing and sports-obsessed. We all really like Abby. She's hilarious and always keeps us laughing at meetings.

Our two junior officers, Jessi Ramsey and Mallory Pike, are another set of best friends. Unlike Kristy and Mary Anne, though, they look nothing alike (Jessi's black with cocoa-colored skin, and Mal has pale skin, red hair, and glasses). What they do have in common, though, is an incredible amount of talent. Jessi's an amazing ballerina, and Mal's an aspiring writer and illustrator. They also share a love of reading and horses (and reading horse stories!), and are the oldest kid in their families. But Jessi has a younger sister and brother, and she moved to Stoneybrook from Oakley, New Jersey. Mal has lived in Stoneybrook all her life and has seven (yup, seven!) brothers and sisters, three of which are identical boy triplets. Being a junior sitter means their parents won't let them baby-sit at night, unless it's for their own families, and Jessi and Mal love to complain about this. They take on a lot of the daytime jobs, though, which allows us older sitters to take the nighttime ones.

And that leaves MY best friend, Claudia Kishi. Like Mal and Jessi, we're a best friend pair that look nothing alike. I have blue eyes and blonde hair, and Claud has long, black hair and brown almond-shaped eyes. We are both are obsessed with clothes and shopping, and are some of the coolest dressers at SMS. We're also boy-crazy. Claudia has had a few serious boyfriends, and is currently involved with Josh Rocker, a seventh-grader. Me? I've been in LUV quite a few times, but right now my heart belongs to Ethan Carroll, who lives in New York City. I met him while I was baby-sitting for the Walkers, this family I used to sit for a lot, and we hit it off right away. He's a talented artist, incredibly cute, a lot of fun…what's not to love? Lately, though, I had been feeling a little lonely, because Ethan's been really busy with his art classes in NYC and we don't talk on the phone or visit each other as much as we used to. I haven't told Claudia that, though.

Claudia's a huge fan of Nancy Drew mysteries and junk food of any kind. I can't have any of it because of my diabetes. Basically, my body can't process sugar correctly, and I need to inject myself daily with insulin. I bet I know what you're thinking---ew, ew, EW! Well, it sounds gross, but I'm used to it. I have to deal with it for the rest of my life, anyway. And Claudia is always more than willing to provide me with non-sugary treats during our meetings. That's her unofficial job as vice-president of the club. Her official duties are to provide her room and private phone line for us three times a week.

What's my job? I'm the club treasurer, naturally. I keep track of our money and collect the club dues every Monday. We use some of those dues to pay Charlie regularly for driving Kristy to and from meetings. The rest of it goes to Claudia's phone bill, supplies for our Kid-Kits, and slumber parties…like the one we're having now!

And that's the Baby-sitters Club. We're an interesting, diverse bunch, don't you think?

I realized I had been daydreaming and not paying attention to what Kristy was saying. "Who knows, they might have kids. Do we have any spare BSC fliers?"

"I probably have one crammed in my desk," Claudia replied.

Kristy shot her a look. "It should be on your bulletin board."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

Kristy raised one eyebrow. "Earth to Stacey," she said. "Haven't you been listening to the conversation?"

"Sorry," I said. "I spaced out for a minute."

"We were talking about the new family moving down your street!" Mal piped up.

"Watson told me today. I'm not sure how he heard about it. Anyway, they'll be moving in next week."

"Cool!" Mary Anne said.

"I'll say. New neighbors!" I added. I'd have to tell Mom. Maybe we could go introduce ourselves when they arrived.

"I hope they're interesting," Abby said. "What if they're like, elderly? Oh, I have nothing against old people, they're tons of fun. But I think it would be awesome to sit for some new kids and introduce them to our charges."

Kristy pounded her fist on the table. "Yes! I'm glad someone's with me!"

"Kristy, who was AGAINST you?" Claudia asked distractedly, picking a mushroom off her slice of pizza.

"What if it's a house full of cute boys?" I teased.

Mary Anne giggled. "If so, I'm sure Ethan would LOVE to hear about it."

"Oh, Ethan," I said lightly. I laughed, hoping it didn't sound forced. Claudia glanced at me, but I pretended not to notice.

"This is to…to…cute boys, old folks, and little kids!" said Mal, taking a slice of pizza out of one of the boxes and raising it in the air.

"To little kids, old folks, and cute boys, in that order," Kristy said pointedly.

"Whatever," said Jessi, raising her slice.

We all followed suit and then "clinked" our slices together in a toast. It's a BSC tradition.

Sometimes the simplest things can seem exciting when you live in a town like Stoneybrook. I really wanted to know: who were these new people?


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

_Ring-ring._

"I'll get--oh," I said, as I ran to the phone. It was Tuesday afternoon. I was home from school, but Mom was still at work. I was alone in the house.

"Ahem. Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, Stace," came a cheerful voice on the other end of the line. I recognized it immediately. It's just about the dreamiest voice you'll ever hear. (Mary Anne would disagree--she thinks Logan's Southern accent is the dreamiest in the _world_. Don't even try to tell her otherwise).

"Ethan!" I cried. "Hi! I didn't expect a call from you at this time."

"I had a little time before my evening class, so I thought, why not? I always love to hear your voice," he replied. I could practically _hear_ his smile.

"No, I love to hear YOUR voice!" I laughed. "What's up? How are you doing?"

"I'm great. Missing you," he said.

I sighed. "Oh, I miss you too. Things have been pretty quiet here lately."

"Translation--boring," Ethan chuckled.

"Not exactly. The club is pretty booked for jobs this week. Actually, I'm kind of dreading telling Kristy that I want to spend most of next week in the city, visiting you and Dad. I hope she won't make a big stink out of me missing out on some potential jobs," I said. Our spring break was the following week, and I couldn't wait. I was dying to soak up some of the energy and excitement of NYC. I was already starting to choose the clothes I'd bring with me.

"Oh, yeah. About that, Stace," Ethan said softly. He sounded hesitant, like he wasn't looking forward to what he was going to say next. "I kind of have something to tell you."

"What is it?" I was twirling the telephone cord around my fingers. I couldn't decide whether to sit or look in the fridge for something to drink.

"Well, my folks kind of sprang some news on me yesterday. You know how we were talking about going to that gallery exhibition together when you came? The one that's next weekend?"

"Of course. I was telling Dad about it the other day when he asked me about our plans," I said. I opened the fridge and peered inside.

"Oh. Well, see, it's been moved up to this Thursday. Don't ask me why. But we won't be able to go to it together," Ethan replied.

"Really? Gosh, Ethan, that's too bad. I was looking forward to going with you," I said sadly. "So are you attending with your parents?"

"Not exactly."

"No? Ethan, what are you trying to say?" I pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"My mom's birthday was two days ago. One of her friends gave her a cruise to the Bahamas as a present. She wants me and Dad to go with her."

"I went on a cruise with my friends once. It was so much fun!" I turned around and headed back to the table.

"It _is_ great. But...we're staying in the Bahamas for two weeks. We leave in two days and don't come back until your spring break is over," he said quietly.

I dropped my water bottle. Since I had already taken the cap off, water gushed out all over the floor and onto my shoes.

"Oh, _darn_!" I shouted.

"Stacey? Oh no, I knew you wouldn't like it," Ethan groaned.

"No, it's not that, I just spilled--two weeks? What?! Ethan, you're not going to be in New York when I come?" I exclaimed. "That ruins everything!"

"Stace, I understand that you're mad, I could tell Mom--"

"No, you should go. Absolutely. It's your family. It's just...I was looking forward to seeing you so much," I said glumly. I was trying my best not to whine. What I wanted to do was shout at Ethan, "Are you crazy? Yes, stay in the city! Didn't you _want_ to see me?"

"I was too. I mean, I know we haven't spent a whole lot of time together lately..." Ethan's voice trailed off.

I paused. I wasn't going to deny that, after all. I could tell Ethan felt terrible, too. But what could we do? We weren't adults. "I know. Listen, I need to clean up here. Call me on your vacation, okay? And take lots of pictures. Don't worry about it. We'll see each other soon. I know it."

"Yeah," he said. "Okay. Thanks for being so understanding, Stace. Love you."

I smiled. "Love you, too. Bye."

"Bye."

We hung up. I was soooo disappointed. I wanted to cry, but held it in as I grabbed a handful of paper towels and mopped up the floor. I was starting to feel like Ethan didn't care about me, which I knew was silly. He did care, a lot. But knowing that didn't help the situation. All I knew was that I had been anticipating my vacation so much, and now I felt like a balloon that had been deflated. _Psssssh._

I tossed the paper towels into the garbage. At that moment Mom breezed through the door.

"Hi, Stace. You'll never guess what I found out today," she chirped.

"What?"

"You know the--" she stopped herself as she looked at my face. "What's the matter, honey? You look awful."

I sighed, crossed my arms, and dropped into a kitchen chair. "It's nothing."

Mom smiled and sat down at the table with me. "I doubt that."

"Ethan is going on a cruise to the Bahamas for two weeks and we won't see each other over spring break," I told her.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry, sweetheart," Mom said. "I know how much you were looking forward to seeing him."

I shrugged. "Whatever. I suppose I'll live."

"That's right," Mom said, nodding. "You two see each other a lot on the weekends."

"Not really," I muttered. "He recently enrolled in a Saturday afternoon sculpture class." I kicked the leg of the table with my damp ankle boot.

Mom looked at me sympathetically. "Don't worry. You'll be together soon. In the meantime, make the most of your time with your father."

"What was your news?" I asked. I didn't really want Mom to see how upset I was.

"Oh." She sat back in her chair and grinned. "Do you remember that blizzard we had last winter? When we were driving back from Washington Mall and the car died?"

"Do I ever!" Was Mom kidding? I'll never forget that night. I had wanted a new perm for a school dance, and we drove to the salon before the blizzard hit. Well, on the way back we ended up stranded, cold, and scared, until this really nice man, Mr. Schiavone, rescued us and invited us to spend the night with he and his wife, and their son, Mason. We had a really pleasant time, and I know Mom will always be grateful to them for that night they took us in.

"Well, on that note, guess which family is moving down our street?" she asked.

"Who? Wait, do you mean--"

"Yes! It's the Schiavones! Can you believe it? Ken's wife accepted a long-term substitute position at Stoneybrook Elementary School, and they've been wanting an excuse to move nearby, because they have family here. Dee Pike told me over lunch today. Mrs. Schiavone is an old friend of hers and has been in touch with her."

"Oh, my gosh! That's really wonderful news!" I said. The Schiavones are just the nicest couple, and Mason is an adorable baby. "Kristy will be really excited to hear that we have new clients to sit for."

"I bet she will be," Mom said, standing up. "I should get dinner started. What are you doing tonight, honey?"

"I'm going to finish my homework before heading for the Hills," I replied. "I'm sitting for Sarah and Norman tonight for an hour and a half."

"How does vegetable lasagna sound?"

"Great!" My bad mood was already improving. New friends in the neighborhood, a new baby to sit for--I was sure I wouldn't be moping over Ethan for very long.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"We won't be gone very long," Mrs. Hill said. "We're going to my husband's parents' house for a bit and should be back by 9:00. Their number is on the hall table. The kids have already had dinner, and there's a bowl of grapes in the fridge if they want dessert."

"Okay," I said.

"Sarah's in her room, and Norman's in the living room watching a video," she continued as she dug through her purse for her keys.

"We should get going," Mr. Hill's voice boomed from the front door.

"Right. Thanks for coming, Stacey. Goodbye!"

"Bye!"

The door closed. I headed for the living room.

"Stacey?" came a voice.

"Hi, Norman!" Norman stood up from the couch and smiled at me. I gasped. "Norman, you look FANTASTIC!"

He really did. He was still on the pudgy side, but I could tell he had lost a lot of weight. He was wearing jeans and a red T-shirt, his blue eyes sparkled when he smiled, and his blonde hair was shiny.

"Thanks. I've lost a total of 25 pounds. Could you tell?"

"I sure could. I'm really happy for you. I bet you're feeling pretty good."

He smiled wider. "Yup. My parents wanted to make a big fuss over me when they found out how much I lost. They wanted to take me out to celebrate at Cabbages and Kings. Do you know what they serve there? Yuck!" Norman made a horrible face.

I laughed. "That's one of Dawn's favorite restaurants. Maybe you'll have more fun if you go with her. She could take you there the next time she visits."

"Maybe," Norman nodded.

"Well, I think it's just great," I continued. "And I wanted to show you some of the new stuff I put in my Kid-Kit." I had been carrying it around since I arrived at the Hills, and now I set it on the couch.

"Cool!" Norman clicked off the TV and sat on the couch, pawing through the box.

"I'm going to go say hi to Sarah," I said, turning towards the stairs.

"Don't pay attention to the "Do Not Disturb" sign she has on her door. She's had it there for days and won't take it off. She's been acting like a big grouch," Norman told me as he held up a drawstring bag and started inspecting the marbles inside it.

"Okay, thanks for the tip," I replied, and ran up the stairs.

I knocked lightly on her door. "Sarah?" I called. "It's Stacey."

No answer.

"Sarah? Is it all right if I come in?"

I heard some shuffling sounds and a very loud sigh. "Yeah, I guess."

I opened the door and peered inside. Sarah was hunched over at her desk.

I walked up to her. "Hi. What are you doing?"

"Working," she murmured. As I got closer I could see that she was sketching something.

"Cool. A drawing?"

"Watercolor," she said, curving her arm around the paper so I couldn't see it.

"Well...come on downstairs and hang out with Norman and me," I said cheerfully.

"Why? What are you doing?" Sarah asked. She still hadn't looked at me.

"We're playing with the Kid-Kit. I have a brand-new set of Magic Markers, maybe you want to use them?"

That did it. She finally looked up. "Okay, I guess. Have you talked to Claudia lately? Does she have my art supplies?"

"Oh, well, I think she'll bring them for you the next time she sits," I said. Immediately I regretted saying that. I really didn't know if Claudia had a job scheduled with the Hills in the future. And I didn't know when she was planning on dropping off the supplies for Sarah. Maybe I should have offered to bring them over myself. Good going, McGill.

"I'll ask her soon. We always see each other at club meetings," I offered.

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "You two are best friends, right?"

"That's right."

She sighed. "I wish I had a best friend," she said wistfully. She glanced for a moment at her picture, and I finally saw what it was: an abstract-looking flower. Claudia would have loved it.

"What about Elizabeth, the girl you used to hang out with? Come on, let's walk and talk," I said, gesturing towards the door. She got up and we walked downstairs.

"_Used _to. She's been...she's been teasing me lately. And remember, she made me so mad when she was calling Norman "Enormous" Hill, that I just dumped her as my friend," she replied. She lowered her voice as we entered the living room, where Norman was sitting on the floor surrounded by construction paper.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot. Well, that was a good move," I said as we kneeled on the floor.

"What was a good move?" Norman asked.

"Nothing, Normie," Sarah replied. "Where are the markers? I want to color something for you."

Well, I thought. I didn't see how Kristy could have possibly thought that Sarah was jealous of her brother. They were getting along fine, as far as I could see.

The two of them were coloring without talking much for about five minutes. It was peaceful. It was nice.

And then disaster struck.

"Norman, give me the red," Sarah blurted out. She had drawn a big fire-truck on a sheet of white construction paper.

"No," came the short reply. Norman was concentrating hard on his drawing of what I guessed to be himself: a smiling boy in jeans and a T-shirt sitting in a classroom next to a pretty girl with brown hair. I smiled.

"What?" Sarah asked, looking up. She had a frown on her face.

"I have to color in the shirt!" Norman cried. "Just wait a minute."

"Sarah, maybe you could color in those clouds first," I said, giving her the blue marker.

"No!" she shouted. "I want to color the truck. RIGHT NOW!"

"Sarah!" I was shocked. She sounded truly angry.

Sarah tossed the blue marker in Norman's direction. She tapped his drawing with her index finger. "Why don't you do something about those jeans? They're not nearly big enough!"

Norman's jaw dropped. So did mine.

"Just what are you saying?" Norman demanded.

"Forget it," Sarah stood up abruptly and tore her drawing into two pieces. _Riiiip._

"What are you saying, Sarah?" Norman was shouting.

"I'm saying you don't look nearly as good as you think you do, stupid!"

"Sarah, you apologize to Norman this instant," I said.

Norman's expression changed. He scoffed. "I think you know more about stupid than I do, dumbbell."

"Norman! Guys, stop this!" I couldn't believe it. I didn't know how things could have turned so sour in a second, but they had.

Sarah stood stock-still. Her eyes filled with tears and she tossed the two scraps of paper she was clutching to the floor. "I don't have to stay here and take this from you, _Enormous!_"

"Stupid-head!"

Sarah ran up the stairs and slammed the door to her room.

"I hate her!" Norman yelled. He abandoned his picture and stalked out of the room.

I sat, frozen. What had just happened? I wanted to bring them both together and demand they apologize and act civil towards each other, but I knew the situation was touchy for both of them. They needed time alone to cool off. I wondered, though, if leaving them alone was the best thing to do.

I sank back against the couch. I just didn't know.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

"Your club runs so efficiently. I'm sure that's all due to your president, Kristin," said Mrs. Schiavone.

"Kristy definitely makes sure of that," I said. I took a sip of my Diet Coke.

"Ah, Kristy. She introduced herself as Kristin Thomas over the phone. I told her we found the club flier in our mailbox, and that we were so happy that she would be able to sit for Mason for us today. We remembered you telling us about the BSC," Mrs. Schiavone continued as she took a bite of her BLT.

"Refills, folks?" A tall man came by our table holding a pitcher of iced tea.

"Please," Mom said, pointing to her glass.

"None for me, thanks," Mr. Schiavone said. "Honey?"

"No, I'm fine," Mrs. Schiavone said. She looked at all of us as the waiter filled Mom's glass and left. She smiled. "Thanks for calling and inviting us to eat, Maureen. This is a lovely place, with a lovely name."

"It is of course our pleasure," Mom said, returning the smile. "Stacey and I are just delighted that we'll be able to do things like this often."

Mom and I and the Schiavones were all out to lunch that Saturday afternoon at the Rosebud Café. Mom had ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, and Mr. Schiavone had ordered a tuna melt. I was eating a salad. We were talking about all the ordinary stuff--the move, jobs, school, the weather. The Schiavones had the best sense of humor and were such interesting people. They were telling Mom and I about a Paris trip they had taken a few years back, when I caught a familiar flash of black hair near the front entrance.

"Hey, Stace!" Claudia called out as she walked over, accompanied by Emily Bernstein and Erica Blumberg, two casual friends of ours that go to SMS.

I introduced everybody. "We're just grabbing a quick bite to eat before we head over to the library. I know what you're thinking, me at the library on a Saturday?" Claud grinned. "But I really need to work on this project for English, and Emily volunteered to help me. Erica's coming because then the three of us are going to the Merry-Go-Round later."

"Sounds like fun," I remarked. I would have liked to go along, but didn't say anything. It didn't really seem appropriate.

"Bye, Mrs. McGill. It was nice to have met you both," she said to the Schiavones. They smiled and nodded, and Claud, Emily, and Erica headed to a nearby table.

I was starting to feel like Lonely Old Stacey. Absent boyfriend, absent best friend…

"What are you doing the rest of the day, Stacey?" Mrs. Schiavone's voice cut into my thoughts.

"What? Oh, I, um, hadn't thought about it," I stammered. I was still mulling over the Sarah and Norman Hill problem, but I had no baby-sitting jobs (Kristy had already snapped up the job with Mason). I discovered I had nothing planned, and started to feel a wave of boredom rise up.

"You can meet our nephew, Sullivan. He lives in Vermont and is visiting us for a few days over his spring break. Sweet kid. I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

"Maybe you could show him around Stoneybrook, Stace," Mom commented. She raised her eyebrows at me over her glass of tea.

"Sure," I said cheerfully. "That does sound like fun." To tell the truth, I wasn't sure if it would be fun or not. I wasn't quite in the mood to act as a tour guide. But I kept that thought to myself.

"Wonderful! We told him to come by here later and introduce himself to you two. I think he might be showing up in just a matter of minutes," Mr. Schiavone told us.

A burst of laughter from Claud's table prompted us all to turn our heads. Emily and Erica were giggling madly and Claudia was pointing to something on her menu. After a few seconds I looked away.

"Ah, there he is now," Mr. Schiavone said, standing up.

I glanced up towards the door just in time to see the most absolute gorgeous guy walking over to our table, and smiling at ME. I just stared. I must have looked like a complete geek.

"Sullivan!" Mrs. Schiavone exclaimed. She also stood up. "We're so glad to see you." Sullivan placed the black backpack he was carrying on an empty chair, and they hugged. Then Sullivan and Mr. Schiavone shook hands. "How was the trip?" Mr. Schiavone asked.

"Not too bad," Sullivan replied, running a hand through his copper-colored hair.

I was practically drooling into my lettuce. THIS was their nephew? I was expecting someone my age, or younger. Sullivan looked like he could be fifteen, or sixteen years old. He was dressed in jeans and a light blue button-down shirt. He was tall and had a terrific smile. And once again, he trained that smile on me.

"Sullivan Schiavone," he said, putting out his hand. "You're Stacey?"

"Ye-yes," I replied. I quickly cleared my throat and shook his hand.

"Maureen McGill," my mother added. "Pleased to meet you. How long are you in Stoneybrook for, Sullivan?"

"Only until next Tuesday," he answered. "Then I go back to Vermont, to go to this party that one of my buddies is throwing. I told him I wouldn't miss it."

We had all seated ourselves and our waiter came by to take Sullivan's drink order.

"How's school been going, sweetheart?" Mrs. Schiavone asked.

"All right. I'm really looking forward to graduating," he said.

"You're in high school?" I asked. Nice one, Stacey. I finally speak and it's to ask the most obvious question in the universe.

"Yes. Senior," he said, smiling at me again. His pale blue eyes sparkled and I realized that they matched his shirt perfectly. He was so incredibly good-looking! My heart started beating faster. "How about you? Do you go to Stoneybrook High?" he asked.

"Oh, no. I'm, um, I'm at SMS. The middle school," I started to feel a little deflated before I even finished speaking.

He nodded politely.

Feeling awkward, I looked at Mr. and Mrs. Schiavone. They were smiling.

"Stacey was just telling us that she wouldn't mind giving you a mini-tour of the town, Sullivan. That is, when you feel you want to. I'm sure you'd just like to go to the house and rest for a bit," Mrs. Schiavone said.

"Okay. I'd love to meet up with you later today, Stacey. That's sweet of you." He gave me a small smile that made his eyes crinkle and twinkle. I was dying, just dying.

Sullivan asked about Mom's job then, and she started to talk about Bellair's. I happened to glance over at Claudia's table for a moment and was surprised to see that she, Emily, and Erica were looking at our table with interest. I followed their gazes and discovered it was Sullivan they all had eyes for. A second later Claudia looked directly at me, and let's just say, she did not look happy. In fact, she looked downright suspicious, and maybe even...jealous.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

"I can't believe it!" Claudia exclaimed.

"Way cool!" Kristy said.

"That's awesome!" I put in. "When will she arrive?"

"Tomorrow morning," Mary Anne replied, grinning. "I'm so glad she's coming."

The "she" we were talking about was Dawn. Claudia, Kristy, and Mary Anne were all over at my house that evening. We weren't having a sleepover, just hanging out. I was lying on my bed, and the others were sprawled on my carpet. Mal was at the movies with Ben Hobart, Jessi was in Stamford with her family, and Abby had politely declined our invitation. She said she wanted to spend some quality weekend time with her mom and sister.

Mary Anne had just informed us that Dawn would be spending a few days in Stoneybrook to visit her mom and Richard over _her_ spring break. Naturally, Mary Anne was ecstatic.

"It'll be great to see Dawn again, even if it's just for a few days," Claudia remarked. I was wary of her. She wasn't being exactly rude, just sort of distant. I had no idea what she had to be bothered about. She hadn't even MET Sullivan. And she had Josh! What could her problem be?

"Here, Claud, Gummi Bears," I said, throwing the package at her.

The bag hit her on the wrist and she looked up, surprised. "Gummi Bears? You had these?"

"They're from Mom's candy stash," I explained. "I can go down and get you guys some cookies or something," I said to Kristy and Mary Anne.

"Great, thanks, Stace," Mary Anne smiled.

"I'll help you," Claudia said suddenly, and jumped to her feet. I raised my eyebrows, but didn't say anything. She followed me downstairs.

Mom was watching a movie on T.V. in the living room, and didn't look up as we passed her. She was on the couch, her knees drawn up, a tissue in one hand. Claudia and I looked at each other and shrugged, but kept walking. My mom loves sad movies. She must have been in the mood for a good cry.

Mom had just bought a pack of oatmeal raisin cookies. I knew she would be fine with us eating them. I took a banana from the fruit bowl for me. As I arranged everything on a plate, Claudia poured glasses of apple juice. "Stace," she said. "I wanted to tell you something."

"Oh?" I asked casually. I placed the plate on a tray.

"Well…" she began. She tugged at her blue and purple tie-dyed vest, which she was wearing over a purple T-shirt. A faded jeans skirt, black tights, and blue sneakers with purple laces completed her look. "I hope you didn't get the wrong idea this afternoon," she said hesitantly. "I thought you looked a bit…hurt when I came by the Rosebud with Emily and Erica. Stace, Emily called me up herself. She was acting sort of weird all afternoon, and said her mom's car only had room for us three. I just wanted you to know that I wasn't deliberately trying to leave you out. You know that, right?"

She had placed the glasses of juice on the tray and was now looking at me seriously. I nodded.

"Of course, Claud. I understand. I just thought you might have been mad at _me_," I said, as we made our way up the stairs. "I mean, when the Schiavones' nephew came in and sat at our table, you were shooting me death glares."

"I know, I know," she said in a regretful tone. "I was being totally immature. He was just really cute, and I just…I was sort of eavesdropping on the conversation. And my first reaction was jealousy. I'm sorry. It was a jerky thing for me to do."

I smiled. "Apology accepted."

"So," she said eagerly as we walked into my room. "You'll tell me all about it, right? What did you guys do? Stace, he is SO gorgeous."

"What? Who's gorgeous?" asked Kristy.

I laughed and set the tray carefully down on the floor. "I have to tell you guys about the awesome time I had this afternoon." I told them all about Sullivan, and our mini-tour of Stoneybrook. He had called me a couple of hours after our lunch was over, and asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I showed him the community center, the library, the high school and university, the Argo, Burger Town, Renwick's, and Bellair's. He said he needed to pick up a few things from the hardware store, so we stopped in at Ted's Tools. Then we went back to the Schiavones' and just hung out for awhile and watched TV. By the time I left, I was floating on air. "He is so nice, you guys," I gushed. "And mature. But what do you expect, from an older guy?"

"Sam isn't mature," Kristy remarked, as she shoved a cookie into her mouth. "He was chasing Karen and Andrew around the house this morning with a water gun while wearing Emily's Big Bird mask. Mom finally had to tell him to cool it." Sam is Kristy's fifteen year old brother. We used to have an on-again, off-again romance. I liked Sam a lot, but he can act incredibly juvenile at times.

"Sam is just a sophomore. Sullivan is about to graduate high school. He's seventeen. Practically an adult," I pointed out, as I peeled my banana delicately. "He asked me if I wanted to get together again tomorrow and do something fun. I can't wait!"

"He sounds great, Stacey," Mary Anne said, as she took a cookie from the plate. "But what about Ethan?"

Little alarm bells went off in my head. Oh, my lord, I thought. (That's one of Claudia's favorite expressions. We've all picked it up). I hadn't even THOUGHT about Ethan all afternoon. I was a terrible person. "Please. Sullivan and I are just friends," I scoffed, as I leaned back on my bed and hugged one of my pillows to my chest. "I'm not thinking about him _romantically_…not really. He's just…incredibly handsome. And that's incredibly hard to ignore. Plus, we just understand each other. It's so easy to talk to him. That's why I called my dad and told him I was going to push back my trip to New York next week by a few days. Sullivan's only here for a short while. We have to make the most of our time together." I took a bite of my banana.

Kristy laughed. "Are you serious? Did your father agree to that? 'Hey, Dad, I'm going to stay in Stoneybrook longer than expected because of this boy I just met. That's right, you heard me, not Ethan.'"

I made a face at her. "No, Kristy. I told him I wanted to earn some extra money before I left and so I took on some sitting jobs with Charlotte Johanssen." Charlotte is eight years old, and easily my favorite sitting charge. We're almost like sisters.

Kristy's eyes widened. "Using the BSC for your own selfish reasons? I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked!"

I picked a raisin off one of the cookies and flicked it Kristy's way. Mary Anne giggled.

"Whatever," Kristy said, a wry smile on her face. She took a sip of apple juice. "You do what you have to do. I'll say, though, that I had a great time sitting for Mason today. He's a perfect baby. It was a breeze."

"Oh, he's the best," I replied. "Next time the Schiavones call the club, can the job go to me, please?"

Claudia and Mary Anne nodded. "I don't see why not," Kristy said coolly. "You DO want your dad to know you're becoming a fellow workaholic, don't you?"

This time I threw a whole cookie at Kristy. She shrieked and ducked. The cookie landed with a splash in Mary Anne's juice glass. Mary Anne gave a little yelp of surprise. My eyes met Claudia's, and she started to snicker. Before long, we were all laughing hysterically.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Stacey Schiavone. That sounded _tres_ cool.

It was Sunday afternoon. I was lying on my bed, daydreaming. Anastasia Elizabeth Schiavone. I'm not too fond of my full first name, but I could make an exception. Sullivan and Stacey Schiavone. Mrs. Sullivan--

"Stace?" Mom poked her head through my doorway.

"Yeah?" I reluctantly sat up.

"I'm going over to the Schiavones for awhile," she said. "Ken needs help with some organizing. Do you think you can occupy your time while I'm gone?"

"Of course, Mom."

"You don't have a sitting job? You know, before your date?" Mom raised her eyebrows and grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes. "No, Mom. I'll see you _later_, Mom."

"Okay, okay," she said pleasantly as she backed out of the doorway.

Yes, I was going out with Sullivan later. And no, it was not a DATE. I glanced around the room and caught sight of a picture of Ethan on my desk. Guiltily, I looked away.

What Ethan didn't know couldn't hurt him. And I wasn't doing anything wrong, technically. Two friends going out to a movie or for a bite to eat--what was the matter with that? I really needed to quit worrying. With a firm nod, I jumped up off my bed and walked over to my closet. I pulled the door open and just stared inside. Sullivan would pick me up in only a couple of hours, and I needed to decide what to wear. I wanted to look _good._

"Knock, knock!" came a voice from behind me.

I whirled around. "Well, aloha!" Dawn cried. She was framed in the doorway, Mary Anne at her side. They were both wearing smiles a mile wide.

"Dawn!" I shrieked. I ran over and gave her a huge hug. "It is SO good to see you! Wow, your tan looks incredible!" It really did. And her hair looked even lighter blonde than I remembered it. Dawn is a true California girl, that's for sure.

"We came over to surprise you, and since your mom was on her way out, she said to go right on up," Mary Anne said as she walked into the room and flopped onto my bed.

"Well, great, you guys can help me decide on an outfit. I trust your fashion judgment," I said, eyeing them both. Mary Anne looked cute in white jean shorts, a red shirt with pearl buttons, and red and white striped sandals. Dawn was wearing black flats, a navy blue miniskirt, a white tank top, and a shiny black beaded necklace.

"I love your skirt!" I told her.

"It's Mary Anne's," she said. "Since I'm taller, it's shorter on me. If it looked like this on Mary Anne, Richard wouldn't let her out the door!"

"Well, I'm having a crisis," I moaned, peering into my closet once again. "I want to look casual, but not too casual. And just a little bit sophisticated. I don't want Sullivan to think I'm just some boring little kid. Oh," I said, turning around. "You haven't heard about Sullivan."

"Actually, I have," Dawn said slyly. "Mary Anne filled me in on the details. A _senior_ in _high_ school? I'm jealous. But it does raise one question, Stace…"

"What's that?" I asked. I held up a pair of wild purple cowboy boots Claudia gave me for my last birthday. I shook my head and set them down.

"Well, why didn't you ever show an interest in Charlie? He's a senior, and he's Sam's older brother, so…" Dawn shrugged.

"Charlie?? Are you serious? I've never thought about Charlie in that way," I said, pulling a flowing white sundress off its hanger and holding it up to myself. I looked in the mirror. "Besides, just because he's seventeen doesn't mean he's mature. Sullivan is incredibly mature. He's already narrowed down his choices of colleges, and he plays drums in a band, and…" I paused. I thought I better not talk too much about Sullivan or Mary Anne and Dawn would think I had a crush. Which I didn't. Of course.

"That sundress will look great on you," Mary Anne offered. "Put your hair up, add a pretty pair of earrings, and you should be good to go."

"Uh-uh," Dawn said, shaking her head. "Try something else. What's that right there?"

"This?" I pointed to a pale pink dress I had tossed over my desk chair.

"Yes," Dawn said. "It's perfect."

I pulled it on. It was very short, with a flared skirt, and two thin shoulder straps. "I usually wear it over a white T-shirt or something."

"Just wear it alone," Dawn said simply.

"Dawn!" Mary Anne gasped.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"Wouldn't that be, you know…too revealing?" Mary Anne asked.

"Oh, please," Dawn rolled her eyes.

As they talked I had removed the T-shirt I was wearing and pulled the dress up. I adjusted the straps and looked at myself in the mirror. "No, I think this would be perfect," I said slowly. "It will keep me cool on a hot day like this, and I look pretty and casual," I turned around for the full effect. Dawn smiled and gave me a thumbs-up.

"Well…all right," Mary Anne said uncertainly.

"Thanks for your help, you guys. You want to go downstairs and have a snack or something? Have you eaten lunch?"

"We ate lunch, but I'm up for a snack. In fact," Dawn said, as she picked up her backpack from the bed, "I have something in here you might like, Stace."

"Cool. Let's go to the kitchen," I said, and we all trooped out of my room.

Dawn pulled out a small container from her bag, and a package of crackers.

"Soybean Surprise?" asked Mary Anne, reading the label. She wrinkled her nose.

"It's soybean dip. Carol's special recipe," Dawn said. (Carol is Dawn's stepmother). She started spooning the dip onto plates and passed the crackers around.

"This is good," I remarked.

"I know," Dawn said, in between bites.

Mary Anne had scraped a miniscule amount of dip onto her cracker and was inspecting it carefully. "Smells funny," she muttered.

"Sorry. Shall I fetch something else for you? A piece of cheesecake perhaps?" Dawn asked pointedly.

Mary Anne chewed slowly. "Hmph," she said. She paused.

"Just eat it," Dawn snapped. "It's good for you. You'll thank me later."

Mary Anne glared at her.

"You guys," I put in.

"No worries," Mary Anne said airily. "Dad said he would take me to the Rosebud later for ice cream. Just the two of us."

I could see Dawn's face tighten.

"Um…" I said uncomfortably. Why were they bickering? I hadn't thought anything was wrong, but I realized there had been tension in the air since the moment they arrived.

I suggested that we all look through a pile of fashion magazines Mom had set out that morning, and we passed the time that way. Dawn showed me the collection of friendship bracelets she was wearing on her left wrist, all braided for her by her friends in California. They were totally cool--even Claudia couldn't make bracelets that intricate. I asked her if she wouldn't mind teaching me the steps, and she gladly agreed.

Before I knew it, it was five minutes to 5:00. Sullivan would be picking me up soon. We were going to the theater to see a movie we were both looking forward to (the new Cam Geary film, a comedy called _Keeping My Cool_) and then to the Argo.

"Sullivan will be here any minute, you guys," I said nervously. I stood up and smoothed out my dress.

"Oh, then we'll be on our way," Dawn said. She picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "Have a fantastic time, Stacey. Tell us ALL about it tomorrow!"

"I will, I will," I said, giving her a quick hug. "I'll give you a call. You guys want to hang out before the meeting or something?"

"Definitely. I proposed that we meet in the secret passage, just for a change of scenery, but Mary Anne didn't go for it," she said, and shrugged.

"Recording job calls by flashlight and sneezing from all the filth in there is not my idea of a relaxing time," Mary Anne sniffed.

"Whatever. I just thought maybe you learned a few things from your beloved Cam after seeing that movie…if he can "keep his cool" in any situation, why can't you?" Dawn asked, and giggled.

"Oh, you guys saw it?" I asked.

"Yeah. At the end--" Dawn started.

"Don't give away the ending! You'll ruin it for her!" Mary Anne practically shrieked.

Dawn sighed. "I was not going to give away the ending. I was _just_ going to tell her that at the end, you spilled some of your nacho cheese on my hair."

"Is it my fault your hair's so long it needs a seat of its own?" Mary Anne retorted.

"Thanks for stopping by," I said, walking them to the door. "I'll see you later!"

"Bye, Stacey!" they said. They turned and headed down the driveway, and I shut the door.

I glanced into the hall mirror and reapplied my lipstick. Then I picked up my purse and dropped the lipstick inside.

I set my purse down on the hall table. A minute later, I picked it up. I swung it from side to side.

I put it down again.

Sullivan wouldn't be late…

_Ding-dong._

I waited ten seconds, and then opened the door. Sullivan smiled at me. He was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt, and his hair was all rumpled. He sort of looked like he had just woken up, but no matter. He looked drop-dead gorgeous anyway.

"Am I late?" he asked.

"No, you're right on time! Doesn't the movie start at 5:10?"

"5:15," he said. "Wow, you look amazing."

Sullivan was glancing approvingly at my dress, and I could feel myself blush. "Thanks. This is an old dress. I decided on it at the last minute. It's so hot today, I thought it would be a good choice."

"Oh, you can say that again," Sullivan said, as he pulled his shirt a little way away from his chest and fanned himself. "Is it usually this warm in Stoneybrook this time of year?"

"Um, not always," I mumbled. I could have cared less about the weather. All I knew was that I was walking through Stoneybrook with the most fantastic-looking guy ever, and every girl who passed us knew it. I walked as close to Sullivan as possible. If they thought we were boyfriend and girlfriend, so what?

We arrived at the theater, and Sullivan asked if I wanted anything to eat. I wasn't hungry so I said I would have a diet Coke. He ordered a bag of popcorn and a root beer. We scooted into our seats just as the lights were dimming.

How was the movie? Well, Sullivan couldn't stop laughing during the middle part. I was too busy being aware of his hand, and his lovely, long fingers, moving back and forth to the bag of popcorn propped up between our seats. I wondered if I should swipe some popcorn for myself, and time it so that our hands brushed when we reached for it. But at the last second, I decided against it--Dawn told me that one time she was on a date, and tried doing that. Somehow all the popcorn got knocked to the floor! Embarrassing.

The film turned out to be really moving. You see, Cam's girlfriend in the movie is having a tough time--her parents have just divorced, and her father is moving to France. Lola (Cam's girlfriend) is trying to decide whether to stay in Connecticut with Derek (Cam) so they can go to their prom together, or move to Paris with her father. The plane is boarding the night of the prom.

I totally identified with Lola. She was a beautiful, sophisticated divorced kid with a great-looking boyfriend. She had to decide between living in a quaint little town where all her friends were, or in an awesome, exciting city like Paris. Well, in the end, she decides on Paris. The last scene is Derek standing in the airport, dressed in a tux, staring out the window at Lola's plane. As the plane takes off, he lets the corsage he bought her fall to the floor.

Honestly, Mary Anne must have turned into one giant teardrop. _Keeping My Cool _was funny but so, so sad. Talk about tough decisions.

Later, at the Argo, I told Sullivan that.

"I don't know," he answered thoughtfully, twirling his straw in his glass of ginger ale. "People think prom is some huge, important event in their lives, when really it's just a glitzy dance where people get all decked out, trying to pretend they're movie stars. I think Lola did the right thing going to Paris. She'll have a much better time there. I mean, take me, for example. I'm not going to my prom, and I'm fine with it. I have better things to do."

"You're not going to your prom?" I asked. I was shocked. There were so many questions I wanted to ask. Had he not asked someone? Had he asked someone, but they turned him down? Did he genuinely think he wouldn't have a good time at prom? What were these "better things" he spoke of? Did Sullivan have a girl--

"Nah," Sullivan said lightly, interrupting my thoughts. "Seriously. I think it'll be lame." He sat back in his chair and looked at me. His beautiful blue eyes twinkled. "So, Stacey," he said. "Have you thought of which college you want to attend after you graduate high school?"

My eyes widened. College? The plain truth was I hadn't given college much thought. Oh sure, I wanted to go to a good one--and I wanted to study something I loved, although I didn't know just what yet--but I was only in eighth grade. Was I supposed to be thinking about it already? "Oh, well…" I started. I tried to make my voice sound calm and controlled. "Not really, but my dad knows a lot about colleges. Well, about the ones in New York."

He nodded. "That would be fun, to go to school in New York. You'd be right at home."

I smiled. "Definitely."

"My top choice is Middlebury," he continued. "That's in Vermont, where I'm from. I've already toured the campus and it seems just right for me."

"Wow," I said. "That's great. You know, I just thought of something. Dad told me there's a McGill University."

"Well, now, that's appropriate, isn't it?" he remarked.

"Yeah, maybe I'll go there. It's in Canada, though. I'll have to invest in a new wardrobe of winter coats."

Sullivan laughed. I sat up taller, pleased with myself.

That's when I noticed Cokie Mason, the BSC's arch nemesis, sauntering by. She slowed down at our table, and glanced at Sullivan and me. "Hello," she said, her eyes bright as she looked at Sullivan, and then narrowing when she saw me. I tried not to narrow mine back at her. It was not the thing to do in the presence of a handsome older man.

Sullivan's eyes followed Cokie until she sat down at a table near ours, where Grace Blume, her best friend, and a couple of other girls were sitting.

He looked at me. "Almost done there?" he asked.

I glanced down at my fruit cup, which was empty. "Yup," I answered.

"Great. How about we get going? I need to be back soon," he said. Something in his tone had changed. And he seemed sort of jumpy.

It was probably nothing. "I had a great time tonight, Sullivan," I said sincerely, giving him a dazzling smile.

He winked at me and put his arm around my shoulders. We strolled out of the restaurant. The cool night air felt wonderful.

"You're fun to be with, Stacey," he said softly.

I wanted to squeal with happiness. But did I? I did not. I was keeping my cool.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

_Sunday_

_So, Claudia and I sat for the Pikes' today. It wasn't one of the most exciting baby-sitting jobs ever. In fact, I think every last kid was bored. I can sympathize. At that age, you just go crazy when the weather is rainy and yucky and you're cooped up inside. I know I did._

_I didn't. Four me it was just and ekscuce to whole up in my room an werk at my eesul!_

_I know, Claud. But not all of us are as fabulous and talented as you are._

_I detect a hinte of sarchasm in that sentuns, Kristy._

_What ever do you mean? Anyway, I guess we DID find out something interesting while we were there._

_Yea. An it has too do with Normen._

On the same day that I had my date with Sullivan, Kristy and Claudia were baby-sitting for the Pikes. It was an early morning job, 8:00 to 11:00, and the weather was awful--drizzly, windy, and gray. Kristy knew it would probably be affecting the mood of each and every Pike kid, and she was right. When she and Claudia arrived, the Pikes were sitting around the living room lazily. And by the pouts on their faces, they weren't interested in having their spirits lifted.

"I'm so BORED," Nicky whined.

"I'm tired of reading," Vanessa mumbled, an open book lying on her lap.

"I wanted to go outside and play on my swing set! Nofe-air!" Claire cried.

"Maybe you can play on it later in the afternoon," Claudia said, kneeling next to her on the floor. "Who's this?" she asked, pointing to a blue plush teddy bear Claire was hugging to her chest.

"Ross," Claire replied.

"That's a nice name."

"It's a dumb name," Jordan offered from his place on the couch. He and Adam and Byron were playing cards.

"Jordan, that's not a nice thing to say," Kristy said. She was helping Margo organize a pile of videos that were strewn in front of the television set.

"But it's the truth. Mom and Dad always say to tell the truth," Jordan scoffed.

"Stupey-stupey-silly-billy-goo-goo-YOU'RE A LIAR IT'S NOT A DUMB NAME!" Claire shouted. Her face turned red and Claudia was afraid she was going to start crying loudly any minute.

"Ross the bear, he is without a care, for he has buttons for eyes, and a sweater to wear," Vanessa recited, and patted Claire on the arm. Claire smiled at her and wiped at her tear-filled eyes.

Margo looked at Vanessa warily, and when Vanessa caught her staring, stuck her tongue out at Margo. They both glared at each other and looked away. It happened so quickly Claudia barely caught it, but she knew she saw it.

Puzzled, she addressed the group. "Um, have you guys had breakfast yet?" she asked.

"Yeah. Cocoa Puffs and bananas," Nicky said.

Kristy sighed. "Well, what do you all propose we do now? I'm sure you don't want to watch any more TV, right?"

"What's wrong with that?" Adam asked, and reached for the remote. He was just about to push the "on" button when Kristy reached out and snatched it from him.

"Aww," Adam said. He frowned and crossed his arms.

"Why don't we all play a game together?" Claudia asked.

"It's too EARLY for that," Margo whined.

"Why don't we have a sing-along?" Kristy continued.

She was answered with a chorus of shuffling and grumbling.

"Come on, it'll be fun," she pressed. "Let's see, what shall we sing? How about The Wheels on the Bus?"

"That's a baby song," Adam volunteered.

"Is not!" Margo shot back.

"All right, all right," Claudia warned.

"I know!" Claire cried. "We're just learning a song in my class. I'll sing it first and then everyone can join in."

"Terrific," Kristy said.

Claire began to sing in a loud, off-key way.

"_Fray rah jocka, fray rah jocka,_

_Door may voo, door may voo_

_S'mores and bells are ringing, s'mores and bells are ringing,_

_Ding drain dong, Ding drain dong!"_

"Ding DRAIN dong?" Adam whispered to Jordan.

"I want s'mores," Byron murmured.

"No, no, Claire," Kristy said. "It's 'are you sleeping, are you sleeping, brother John, brother John, morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing'--"

"Morning bells?" Claire asked. She looked confused. "And John? I thought it was Fray rah!"

"No, MOURNING bells," Vanessa said dreamily. "Like someone died, and the bells are ringing in his--or HER--memory. I think that's much more meaningful, don't you think so, Kristy?"

"Oh, brother…John," Nicky said, and Adam smirked.

"Um, yes," Kristy answered. She blew a piece of stray hair out of her eye. "Okay, kids, let's take it from the top, all right? And a-one, a-two, a-one, two, three, four…"

The kids all started singing in a monotone, half-hearted sort of way. Claudia said later it wasn't the best performances the Pikes ever delivered. And the Pikes have put on some great stage acts before.

They sang a few more songs, including The Wheels on the Bus (with the triplets rolling their eyes the whole time), and Bingo. They also played a long game of Red Rover. It wasn't the smartest game they could have played--when Nicky ran to the triplets' team, Adam pushed him back so far that he almost knocked over one of Mrs. Pike's antique vases--but Claudia and Kristy could tell the kids were in considerably better spirits after playing.

Around 10:30, Claudia was in the kitchen preparing a pitcher of lemonade while the kids cleaned up the living room. Kristy joined her after a few minutes. "Have you noticed how Margo and Vanessa have been avoiding each other all morning? If they happen to sit by each other, one of them always gets up and leaves. And I know I've seen some pretty deadly glances going back and forth."

"I noticed," Claudia said. "I wonder what's going on."

"Kristy! Have you seen Ross's sweater?" Claire called from the living room. "I think Jordan stole it! Jordan, you stupey-stupey-silly--"

"I'll be right back," Kristy said, sprinting into the living room.

Nicky sidled in and stood by the counter watching Claudia add the pitcher of lemonade and some napkins to a tray, which already held nine glasses. "I heard you and Kristy," he said.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Margo and Vanessa both like Norman Hill," Nicky told her. "Vanessa's been writing him poetry and he's embarrassed and wants her to stop. He asked the triplets to talk to her, but they don't even believe him, so he asked me. I've seen her writing the poems. Once she tore up a piece of paper with one on it and threw it in the wastebasket but I took it out and saved it. For evidence."

"Nicky!" Claudia was shocked. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I know," Nicky said contritely. "But look. Hasn't she gone crazy?" He held out a crumpled scrap of paper for her to see.

Claudia glanced furtively around to check that none of the kids were within earshot. Then she glanced at the words on the paper.

"_You are like the sun rising and setting_

_You are the crash of the waves on the sand_

_Dear Norman, let us not let the day pass us by_

_So come and take my hand."_

Claudia looked at Nicky incredulously.

"I know," Nicky said, nodding his head. "It's disgusting. And I'll bet it was much longer than these four lines. At least she didn't send him this one. Ew!"

"She's sent him others?"

"Sure. That's how he found out it was her writing them. He receives all these poems and he knows Vanessa's a weirdo who loves to talk in rhyme. I think Margo knows what she's been up to and she's jealous because she and Norman are the ones who are friends and she's hoping he likes HER. She and Vanessa have been fighting. Can I be excused? I need to go to the bathroom now," Nicky had begun hopping from one foot to the other impatiently.

"Sure, go ahead. I'll just…keep this for you," Claudia said, indicating the paper.

"Cool." He left.

Kristy returned. "What's up?"

Claudia shook her head. "Not now. We need to discuss something with the others at the next meeting."


End file.
